1. Field
This disclosure is generally related to gamification and video games. More specifically, this disclosure is related to a game system that is capable of dynamically adjusting the game mechanics according to the profile of the player.
2. Related Art
Gamification is a newly emerged concept, which refers to the use of game mechanism and game design in a non-game context. It is often used as a way to encourage users to engage in desired behaviors by providing game-like rewards, such as points, badges, leaderboards, etc. For example, certain websites that promote health and fitness, such as Fitocracy and QUENTIQ, encourage their users to exercise more by awarding users with varying numbers of points for activities they perform in their workout. The users can also gain levels based on points collected, and complete quests and gain achievement badges. In addition, enterprises trying to lure their employees into performing certain tasks, including training, completing surveys, or investing in their retirement account, also want to gamify these experiences for their employees. Gamification is also used by marketers and website product managers as a tool for customer engagement, and encouraging desirable website usage behavior.
Just like different game players have different motivations for playing, users of the gamified applications are also motivated differently when completing the tasks. Decades of research in the field of the video game has demonstrated that, in general, game players can be clustered into four groups (achievers, explorers, socializers, and killers) based on their motivation for “figuring out” the game, roaming the game world, interacting with other players, and competing with other players, respectively. Recent research has also identified ten game-playing motivations that fall into three higher-level categories related to achievement, social, and immersion motivations.